STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT STATUTE ELECT SIX JUDGES

International Criminal Court

Assembly of States Parties

Fourth Session (Resumed)

5^th Meeting (AM)

STATES PARTIES TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT STATUTE ELECT SIX JUDGES

The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in a single round of balloting this morning, elected Mr. Hans-Peter Kaul ( Germany), Mr. Erkki Kourula ( Finland), Ms. Akua Kuenyehia ( Ghana), Mr. Sang-hyun Song ( Republic of Korea), Ms.  Ekaterina Trendafilova ( Bulgaria), and Ms. Anita Ušacka ( Latvia) as judges with nine-year terms of office beginning 11 March. 

During the two-day resumed fourth session, the Assembly is also expected to elect members of the Committee on Budget and Finance.  States parties held their fourth session at The Hague, Netherlands, from 28 November to 3 December 2005.

Today’s election took into account the need for representation of the principal legal systems of the world; equitable geographical distribution; and fair representation of female and male judges.

Representatives were required to vote for six candidates, from among 10, with at least one candidate from an African State; at least one candidate from an Asian State; at least two candidates from Eastern European States; and at least one female candidate.

The ballot contained two lists of candidates.  List A candidates had established competence in criminal law, while List B candidates had competence in relevant areas of international law.  Biographical information on the judges is contained in document ICC-ASP/4/33/Add.1.

At the outset of the meeting, the Assembly adopted its agenda, contained in document ICC-ASP/4/19.  It also agreed to consider the report on interim premises under the item “Other Matters”, subject to time constraints that might result from the need to conclude the scheduled elections.

The Assembly also took note of the interim report of its Credentials Committee, as presented by Committee Chair Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan).

In addition, the Assembly decided to approve the requests for exemption from the following 17 States parties in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions towards the costs of the Court, thereby enabling them to vote in the Assembly:  Argentina, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Paraguay, Tajikistan, United Republic of Tanzania and Uruguay.

Voting Results

Number of ballots: Number of invalid ballots: Number of valid ballots: Number of Members voting: Required two-thirds majority:

100 4 96 100 67

Number of Votes Obtained

List A:
Ekaterina Trendafilova ( Bulgaria) Haridiata Dakoure ( Burkina Faso) Tuiloma Neroni Slade ( Samoa) Sang-hyun Song( Republic of Korea)	82 16 50 70
List B:
Károly Bard ( Hungary) Anita Ušacka ( Latvia) Akua Kuenyehia ( Ghana) Cheikh Tidiane Thiam ( Senegal) Hans-Peter Kaul ( Germany) Erkki Kourula ( Finland)	36 77 72 29 67 73

The Assembly of States Parties is the management oversight and legislative body of the International Criminal Court. It is composed of representatives of the States that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, currently numbering 100.

The following States are parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court:  Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zambia.

The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. today to elect members of the Committee on Budget and Finance, and take up other matters.

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For information media • not an official record